Ukraine announces significant soldier pay raises and new incentives for the army

The Ministry of Defense specified the plans in a video. According to this, the starting salary for all soldiers is to rise by 50 percent to just under 580 euros. On average, Ukrainian infantrymen are to receive around 5,800 euros in the future, with a maximum pay of nearly 8,900 euros per month envisioned for frontline deployments. "Die ukrainischen Infanteristen werden zu den bestbezahlten Militärspezialisten in der Welt", the ministry declared in the video.

At the same time, Ukraine wants to make military service more attractive. Plans include fixed-term contracts with a maximum duration of two years, followed by a reservist phase of at least six months. Long-serving soldiers are to be given the opportunity to leave active service at the end of the year. The ministry wants to offer deserters immunity from prosecution and the free choice of their unit in order to persuade them to return to the army.

Incentives and return for deserters

To ease the personnel shortage in the short term, Ukraine is increasingly relying on foreign legionnaires. "Das ehrgeizige Ziel: Mehr als 50 Prozent der Sturmtruppen und Infanteristen sollen Legionäre sein", according to the ministry. Recruitment is to take place worldwide through private placement firms. Which countries are being targeted was not specified.

Focus on foreign legionnaires

The reform comes amid a phase of economic difficulties. The Ukrainian economy is contracting again, and the national currency, the hryvnia, has been gradually devalued by the central bank for months in order to more easily plug budget gaps with foreign loans. Nearly half of the Ukrainian state budget is dependent on foreign funds, according to the ministry.

Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion with Western support for more than four years and is heavily reliant on foreign aid. The announced measures are intended to secure the country's own defense capability while at the same time attracting new soldiers for the ongoing war.

Economic background and open questions

Critics point out that Zelensky has so far not presented any concrete financing for the reform. Given the economic situation and the dependence on external donors, it remains unclear how sustainably the planned increases can actually be implemented. Observers also consider the target of more than 50 percent foreign legionnaires to be ambitious.

The combination of higher salaries, return offers for deserters, and international recruitment shows the pressure under which the Ukrainian leadership is scrambling for solutions in view of the ongoing war and dwindling personnel reserves. If the reform succeeds, it could significantly strengthen military striking power – otherwise, a further aggravation of the personnel crisis at the front threatens.